Ink fountain for printing presses



Sept. 27, 1955 c. s. CRAFTS 2,718,848

INK FOUNTAIN FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Feb. 23, 1 952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Imvaru-rok 57, CuvtLJ (I Greg-t1:

TTORNBYJ down. the ink fountain is located above the web, asin center pThis invention relates to printing presses and more particularly to animproved overshot ink fountain for use therewith.

As compared with undershot fountains, overshot ink fountains have theadvantage of complete freedom from leakage of ink at all times, evenwhen the press is shut This advantage is particularly significantwherecolor and half deck presses, which are frequently used to adapt ordinarynewspaper presses for color printing.

When undershot fountains are used on center color or half deck presses,objectionable ink leakage between the fountain roller and the knife isusually experienced, particularly when a continuous ink feedingarrangement is employed rather than an oscillatingductor roller. With acontinuous ink feeding arrangement, considerable clearance-mustordinarily be provided between the fountain roller and the feed roller,withthe result that a correspondingly great clearance is necessarybetween the fountain rollerand the knife in order to provide a sufli-.CleilflY thick film of ink on the fountain roller. 1 Under 'theseconditions, objectionable leakage of ink almost invariably occursbetween the fountain cylinderand the knife. 7 e

In the case of overshot ink fountains, leakage of ink is eliminated, butheretofore certain drawbacks have impaired the usefulness of overshotfountains for press units employing colored? ink. In newspaper printingpractice, the color'of. the ink employed in center color -and;half deckpress units is frequently changed in order \to accommodate variousarrangements of color pages on the web. Since thorough cleaning of theink fountain isrequiredto make a color change, the fountain should beeasy to clean. lMoreover, it should be operative with .as small a poolof ink as possible, since the ink removed from the fountain in making acolor 'change is ordinarily United States Patent discarded due tocontamination by cleaning solvents and h the like. Heretofore, however,the virtues of easy cleaning and -low ink capacity have been consideredincom- .patible, inasmuch ,as it has been considered necessary to.provide a large, space between the ink fountain roller and-the bottomof the'ink trough in order' to facilitate cleaning.

One of the principal objects of the present invention iswto provide anovershot ink fountain which combines the advantages .of easy cleaningand low ink capacity.

A further object isto provide an improved overshot ink fountainconstructed so that a color changecan be 'made with a minimum of time,effort and wastage of ink.

; Another object is to provide an improved ink fountain adapted to'beemployed advantageously on center color and:half deck printing pressunits.

. Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in coninection with the accompanyingdrawings in which: ;:Figure 1 is a sectional view of an illustrative inkfountain-constructed in accordance with the invention, the

:.Y. Z,.b. g taken'transverseio the.-.fountainroller... H

2,718,848 Patented Sept. 27', 1955 Fig. Zis a fragmentary view of thefountain taken at right angles to Fig. 1 and at a downwardly inclinedangle, edgewise with respect to a removable bottom plate forming a partof the fountain. L

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 4 taken with thebottom plate removed.

Referringin'greater detail to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the invention isillustrated as embodied in an overshot ink fountain having an ink troughor pan 12. Positioned in the trough and adapted to dip into the inktherein is a fountain roller 14 mountedpat each end in suitable bearings(not shown) and driven at a small fraction of the press speed bysuitable means (not either continuous or intermittent ink feeding, butpreferably it is of the continuous feed type, and is illustrated assuch. From the ink drum the ink is transported to a plate cylinder bymeans of a series of rollers not shown.

In this instance the ink fountain 10 comprises a base or body 24 ofheavy cast construction. Formed integrally therewith is a rear wall 26,preferably inclined, which merges with a generally horizontal lower wallor apron28, the rear wall 26 being both a side and a bottom element ofthe ink trough 12. It will be observed that the rear wall 26 extendslongitudinally of the roller 14. To facilitate cleaning, considerablespacing is provided between the rear wall 26 and the fountain roller 14,and an even greater spacing may be provided between toward the frontalong the longitudinal dimension of the roller 14. j l

In each section of the ink trough or pan 12', an individual upwardlyinclined panel'or plate 38 is removably positioned to provide afrontwall therefor. To minimize the ink capacity of the trough, a minimum ofclearance is provided between the panel 38 and the fountain roller 14.When in place in the fountain, the panel is sealed against ink leakageby means of a'plurality of soft, resilient, rubberlike sealing strips40, sec'ured to the underside thereof along its lower and inclinedlateral edges, by means of clamping screws 42 threaded into clampingstrips 44. The sealing strips engage respective sealing bars 46, rigidlysecured to the rear wall 26 and the division pieces 34. An especiallyeffective seal is obtained between the strips and the bars by providingthe latter with relatively sharp, chisellike upper edges adapted to biteinto the strips; ,A suitable handle 52 is mounted on the panel ,tofacilitate removal and installation thereof.

In order to clamp the panel 38 in place while providing for quickremoval thereof, the ink fountain is equipped with a plurality ofclamping mechanisms 54,

which in this instance comprise eccentric shafts 56 journaled at theiropposite ends in brackets 58 and 60, se-

underneath the eccentrics 66. Each eccentric is .pro-

vided with a square drivingh'eadtifia by means of'whic'h it mayberotated so as to engage one ofthe 'Z-s'haped brackets 62 and therebyclamp the panel downwardly :against'the sealing bars 46. Top'rovideadded rigidity for the panel 38, an angle bracket is-mounted'along thelower edge thereof.

In preparation for apress run, the trough 12 of the inkfountain isfilledwith ink to a level such as to immerse the'lower portion of thefountain roller 14. Because of the close spacingbetween the removablepanel 38 and the roller, a relatively small quantity of ink wills'uffice to place the fountain into operation. For this reason theink'level in the fountain can be kept low to avoid wastage of ink in theeventthat 'a color change is tobe made.

In the usual manner, the ink in the fountain-adheres tothe roller 14 andis smoothed into a -film of suitable thickness by the knife 16, as theroller is driven counter clockwise by the press. roller 14 by the morerapidly rotating feed roller 17 "and is transferred successively totheroller 18 and the drum 20 and thence to the printing plate.

Ink is wiped off the fountain If the color of the ink is to be changedat the end of the press run, the panel '38 is unlocked byrotating theeccentric shafts 56 with a suitable wrench-applied to the square heads66a. When the eccentrics have thus been disengaged from the Z-brackets62, the handle 52 'is-grasped'and the'panel slid edgewise out of thefountain, whereupon the ink remaining in the trough 12 drains downwardlyupon the apron 28. Removal of the panel 38 does not require removal ofthe roller 14.

The retaining plate maybe removed so that the ink can 'be scraped overthe front edge of the apron into a suitable receptacle. With'the panel'38 'removed, it

isa simple matter to clean the sloping rear wall 26,-the division pieces34, and the roller 14. The usual cleaning implements and cloths mayreadily be inserted through the space between the roller and the rearwall.

After the fountain has been cleaned, the retaining plate "30 is replacedand the panel 38 is installed with the sealing strips'40 engaging thesealingbars'46. To clamp the panel inplace, the eccentrics 66 arerotatedinto clamping engagement with "the lower flanges of the Z'-brackets 62.As finally positioned, the eccentricsare on dead center as shown in Fig.4 so that thepan'el "cannot'be dislodged by vibrationor the like."Itwill 'be apparent that the panel 38 may'thus 'bere'movecl or replacedin a matter of seconds.

I claim as my invention: 1. In an overshot ink fountain for a printingpress,

the combination comprising an ink trough having fixed end and rearwalls, an access panel forming a movable front wall of the ink trough,sealing means interposed between the lower side of the panel and the endand rear walls, and means including a pair of eccentric shafts extendingalong the edges of the panel adjacent the end walls for removablyclamping the panel into sealing enmovably clamping the panel against thesealing means.

3. In an overshot'ink fountain for a printing-.press,

the combination comprising an ink trough having fixed end and rearwalls, a flat access panel forming a removable front ink trough wall,soft resilient sealing strip means around the edges of the panel on itsunderside, a plurality of sealing bars on the end and rear walls forengaging the sealing strip means, and clamping means for removablysecuring the panel against the sealing bars.

4. In an overshot ink fountain-for a printing press, the combinationcomprising an ink trough having fixed end and rear walls, a flat accesspanel forming-a removable front ink trough wall, soft resilient sealingstrip means around the edges of the panel on its underside, a pluralityof sealing bars on the end and rear walls for engaging the sealing stripmeans, and eccentric shafts extending along the edges of the paneladjacent the end walls for removably securing the panel against thesealing bars.

5. In an overshot ink fountain for a printingpress, the combinationcomprisin'g'anink trough having'fixed end and rear walls, a flat accesspanel forming a removable front ink trough wall, softresilient sealingstrip means around the edges of the panel on its underside, a pluralityof sealing bars on the end and rear-walls for engaging the sealing stripmeans, apair of Z-brackets secured to thepanel along its edges adjacentthe end walls, the brackets having outwardly extending lower flanges,and a pair'of eccentric shafts engageable with the lower flanges forremovably s'ecuring the panel against the sealing bars.

6. In an'ink fountain for a-printing press or the like,

the combination comprising a frame, a generally horizontal ink rollerjournaledin-said frame, a trough member underlyingsaid roller andsupported in said'frame,

said troughmember being of generally L-shape having a forwardlyand-downwardly slopingrearwall and a generally horizontal apronextending forwardly from the lower edge of said rear'wall and joinedthereto, the spacone another'and forming an ink-tight joint with'saidrear wall and said apron, a removable panel member of flat rectangularshape extending bridgingly between'the'dn- 'wardly facing surfaces ofsaid divider'members, said 'panel me'mberbeing arranged closely adjacentsaid roller and in V formationwiththe rearwall of said trough member sothat the roller :liesr-ge'nerally above the root of the V,- and manuallyreleasable sealing means for 'seal- -ing theedges'of' saidipanel tosaid-divider members and tosaid rear wallrespectively; said apron havinganupwardly' extending ink retaining member along its for- 'wardedgeto'retain the inkon saidapron when the panel memberis removed.

7. In an ink fountain for' a' printing press or the like,

'the'combination comprising -a"frame, a generally horizontalihkroller'journaled in said frame, atrough member underlying said rollerand*supported in-"said'frame, said trough member having a forwardly anddown- 'wardly-sloping rear'wall positioned adjacent said roller andfurther having an apron joined thereto and' extending forwardly from thelower edge --ofsaid rear wall, the

spacing between-said apron'and said roller being substantially greaterthan the spacing =between 'said rearwall and said roller to afiordaccess between the trough 'member and said roller forcle'aningp'urposes, said troughmember having vertical walls: spacedfromone another and forming an ink-tight joint with saidrearwalland'said apron, a removablepanel member ofrectangularconfiguration extending bridgingly between said divider walls, saidpanel member 1 being arranged closely adjacent: said roller" and inVformation with the rear -wall 'of said-trough member so that the-rollerlies generallyaabove' the root of the V,

a d manually-releasable sealing mea'ns for 'sealing'the edges of saidpanel to said divider members and said rear wall respectively.

8. In an ink fountain for a printing press or the like, the combinationcomprising a frame, a generally horizontal ink roller journaled in saidframe, an ink trough underlying said roller and supported in said frame,said ink trough having a forwardly and downwardly sloping rear wallpositioned adjacent said roller and having a generally horizontal apronextending forwardly from the lower edge of said rear wall, the spacingbetween said apron and said roller being substantially greaterthan thespacing between said rear wall and said roller to afford access betweenthe apron and said roller for cleaning purposes, said ink trough havingvertical end walls spaced from one another, a removable panel membe'rofrectangular configuration extending bridgingly between said vertical endwalls, said panel member being arranged closely adjacent said roller andin V formation with the rear wall of the ink trough so that the rollerlies generally above the root of the V, and manually releasable sealingmeans for sealing the edges of said panel to said divider members andsaid rear wall respectively.

9. In an ink fountain for a printing press or the like, the combinationcomprising a frame, a generally horizontal ink roller journaled in saidframe, a trough mem- 25 her underlying said roller and supported in saidframe, said trough member having a forwardly and downwardly sloping rearwall and a generally horizontal apron extending forwardly from the loweredge of said rear ,wall, said trough member having vertical end wallsReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,193,089 Crafts Mar. 12, 1940 2,431,900 Worthington Dec. 2, 1947FOREIGN PATENTS 666,705 France May 28, 1929

